MR SEDDON DAY BY

Otago Witness, Issue 2516, 4 June 1902, Page 55

MR SEDDON DAY BY

(Sea Cartoons Elsewhere.)

HIS ACCEPTANCE OF THAT PURSE. (Fbom Our Own Gobkesfoxdent.) LONDON. April 19.

Last week I mentioned that the NeW Zealand Premier had attained the houcruiof being caricatured by Mr F. Carruthers-* Gould, in the Westminster Gazette. Mr Seddon has now won the further honour o£ having a space daily devoted to him in on 1 * of the leading London papers, witli thf; heading, "Mr J3eddon Day by Day," after the fashion of "iiondon Day by Day," "Paris Day by Day," with which tte have so long been familiar. I am afraid the latest tendency is not to take Mr Seddon quite so seriously as before. The news that he has accepted a pttree of 5000 sovereigns as a. eorfc of bonv.s or payment for 'overtime, in audition to his official salary, for what he hnß -done in, - connection with the war. seemß to have created a considerable revulsion of feeling: at this end. People admire .his cieTerne3a no bass than before; indoed, perhaps more so from one point of view, for as a certain." text says, " So long as thou riocst well "untc--thyself, -man will speak good of thee," =Jintl it is freely Tecognised that a -pause of 50QQ sovereigns constitutes a very solid and sain stantiaf antl form of testimonial which will "butter parsnips " far more effee tively than any number of *' fmo words "' are proverbially supposed to <lo for those who desire that vegetable -to he -thus treated. And so fhe critics sny that Mr Seddon ia a dashed *dever feliow to get £-5080 cash, down in addition to a fairly respectable official salary. Stfll, Mr Seddon'h friends aiid admrrei-j in this country, -who are -not few, do erpiess . considerable res^et that his "' testimonial " should have taken the form of current coin. They say that if it had been a piece of plate or one of the usual modes of rccos" nition for public services it would have been, different. But the specific- payment in hard cash does i- stiok in tlieir gizzards." Ever since the fact was cabled from Nev* Zealand some of the papers have manifesteda tendency to poke fun at the .affair, .and at the New Zealand Premier himself, and the prevalent impression is that his •acceptanceof a direct pecuniary payment for his patriotism does certainly endanger the charaater of his reopptiori in high quarters over here, particularly n<; regard* the bestowal_ of any titular honour as a royal recognition for pullic services. The feeling here is certainly that the occasion was somewhat unfortunately chosen for a presentation of that lard; and its acceptance has dimmed in a -very material degree the lustre of Mr Scddon's public .achievement; as viewed from this side of the world. I On the other hancl. tlie British Australasian, which, as I menfcioried last week, lias been assiduous in whipping up a movement for subscriptions in this country for anoiaer testimonial to Mr Seddon, comes out strongly again this week. It says, "There i appears to be a. strong and unanimous feel- ; ing among Anglo-New Zealanders and <rfcheK • 1 in favour of .presenting a service of plate or some similar maTk m pnblic recognition oi Mr Seddon, during his visit to this -country for the IGng'-s Coronation. The Bank of New 'Zealand are prepared to Teceive any subscriptions which may be forward e*J to them with this object. And in the course , of a few days the nvavps of the general and executive committee -will be announced. Ini the meantime. Mr H. "B. Marriott Wstfon has consented to act as honorary secretary to the fund." Certainly, if there »vi--rs surli a feeling on the part of New Zeu-lauders rc-ident m this country, " and others," as the British Australasian comprehensively puts it, it has not so far tome under my peraonaJ notice.: but assuming it to exist, it is at any xate satisfactory to observe that there is no proposal for the testimonial to take tihe form of caslt down, and that if any thing be done it U proposed to do it in the shape of presentation of plate or some orher permanent form. La<4 night a second caricature -of Mr Seddon by Mr Carrwthers-Gould appeared, in Ihe Westminster Gazette. Jt is headed, i- Mr Seddon's Tour (de force)," and i-ftpre-sents the Nevr Zealand Piemier as a liontamer, the upper part of his person clothed in a singlet covered -with capital imitation of Maori carvings, while his knickers are of iUi.ion Jack pattern. With a formidable ■w hip he is trying to make the British Lio« leap through "The Imperial Seddon Hoop," remarking as he cracks his. whip, " W-bat 3, have Seddnn, "I have Seddon — jump-! " But rhn British lion seems to hesitate anou> obeying this mandate J .

The Evening Post states thai flic Sailway Department Hum reduced the -rates for the. conv&yartce of supplejack 'coal Ibasfcets from rate ana a-Sialf, class JL %o single xate, claw A. The alteration -will itafce effect on lsfc June. Tbe Plan's" a jolry fellow, Tse it war or 'be it peace ; And .he's not tbe first to bellow

That all fighting ought to cea.«e. Although his life's in danger ever.

Against bad health Ilg should ii l n?ure; To cure all colds is our endeavour With the "Woods' Gbeat Pepfer kista. t Cure.